TIRRC is a statewide, immigrant and refugee-led collaboration whose mission is to empower immigrants and refugees throughout Tennessee to develop a unified voice, defend their rights, and create an atmosphere in which they are recognized as positive contributors to the state.

Each year, undocumented students graduate in Tennessee with hopes of continuing their education, but no matter how long they have lived in Tennessee they must pay more than three times as much as much as their classmates to attend a public college or university—even if they meet all the other residency requirements as other students.

Students, parents, educators, and members of the Tennessee community have joined together to pass legislation in Tennessee that would grant in-state tuition rates to undocumented students to attend college.

Each year, thousands of undocumented students graduate in Tennessee with hopes of continuing their education. But no matter how long they have lived in the state, they must pay over three times as much as their US-born peers to attend a public college or university—even if they meet all other residency requirements. Under the leadership of our youth group, JUMP, we have been fighting for tuition equality in Tennessee since 2012. We believe that all Tennessee graduates should be given the same opportunity to continue their education, regardless of their country of birth or immigration status. This year, we brought our fight to the state legislature.

In January, two bills were filed that would have expanded access to in-state tuition rates to many undocumented Tennessee graduates. One of these bills, SB1951/HB1992, was discussed in committees for more than a month. Yesterday, the bill was moved to the General Subcommittee of the Senate Education Committee, signaling that the bill will not be voted on this year.

Cesar Bautista, a youth leader and our campaign coordinator, had this to say about the decision to shelve the bill for the year: "It is unfortunate that the legislature has missed an opportunity to strengthen our state's economy, generate revenue for our universities, and give every student the opportunity to pay their fair share for college. When undocumented high school seniors graduate this May, they will have to pay 3 times as much for school, making higher education impossible for most. Immigrant youth have advocated for this bill for two years and we won't quit until every student can pay a fair price for college. Our dreams are what's at stake, and we will never give up."

While we're disappointed by the legislature's inaction, we have many signs of progress to celebrate. Here are just a few:

The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce endorsed the bill.According to their release, “The annual cost difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition can be as much as $8,000 for a public university in our region....The proposed legislation aligns with the chamber’s policy principles of increasing the number of postsecondary degrees in the region and immigration-related reforms that address workforce needs.”

We changed the conversation. One of our goals this year was to shift the narrative about tuition equality, helping people to understand the issue and recognize the real impact of tuition policies on Tennessee students. And we succeeded. We were in the media several times every week during the legislative session--bringing DREAMers' stories into living rooms across Tennessee. Journalists noted the changing tone and softening stance of legislators on this issue.

Don't worry, we'll be back! We're already looking ahead and planning our next steps forward. We are committed tobuilding support for tuition equality across the state and bringing a bill back next year, butwe'll need your help! Please join us, and become a TIRRC member today!